Assessment Centres are used to assess and differentiate potential from a group of candidates in relation to a particular job role. Research has shown that well managed assessment centres are up to 30% more effective than stand - alone interviews, in predicting capability and fit for a role. Usually the centre will last a day and typically a panel of 4 will assess 8-10 candidates

Advantages to your Organisation:

Fair and objective method of assessment using a comprehensive, valid and rigorous process

The selection panel can make live comparisons of candidates in a live setting

Provides for early identification of “high potential” for fast-tracking for future promotion

Flexible and cost effective. Can be used to assess relatively high volumes of candidates

Centre Design:

The items addressed in the assessment design and activity planning include:

To ensure an agreed and user friendly job role profile is in place. This will highlight key deliverables of the role along with the threshold experience and knowledge requirements. It will also list the desired perspectives, skills and behaviours to enable assessors have a common understanding of what it is they are trying to measure.

Designing appropriate interactive exercises and criteria for measures, to ensure a high degree of accuracy and consistency in assessments.

Creating a timetable to ensure assessors deal with alternate candidates at different times. This enables all members of the team to have a good opportunity to observe every candidate.

Ensuring all assessors are aware of all governance and legal matters

Centre activities.

Introductions and Preview for candidates:

This is an important activity that helps to improve the recruitment brand of the organisation. As well of advising the candidates of the assessment centre activities it is also a good opportunity to give a brief presentation on your Organisations goals and activities. In particular we like to focus on the organisation’s talent and career management strategies.

The exercises are scored and reports are generated upon immediate completion of the tests. The outcomes are reviewed and the data informs the assessment team on traits to observe and areas to probe in follow up activities.

Observation of group and individual based activities: (2 Hours approx.)

These activities including interactive problem solving and individual presentations enable assessors gather evidence of competencies in a live setting. They enable assessment of the candidates analytical, influence, listening, communication, problem solving and relationship building skills.

Interviewers use the instruments provided to gather evidence against the competency model. All are coached in how to use open and probing questions to review candidates CVs and to extract evidence of the relevant perspectives, skills and behaviours.

Assessment & Scoring

The assessment team discuss and compare notes. They use the agreed criteria rating mechanism to interpret the evidence in a way that can be weighed. The results of all the centre exercises are collated onto a summary report of candidate ranking and this is used to help selection decisions.

Assessment/Development Centre and Talent Pipeline

The assessment centre method can be applied to in-house Assessment Centres. As such it is a valuable technique for the identification of management potential. It is viewed by organisation members as being a fairer and more objective method of selection than stand - alone interviews.

We have found that the selection of those who have achieved a good rating at assessment centres has led to an improvement in the quality of management at the first level of supervision. It has also helped our clients to build a pipeline of managers with potential to advance to higher levels.

In comparison with individuals promoted without going through the process, almost twice as many of those rated high at the assessment centre have demonstrated potential to advance beyond the first level of management.